Google is changing the logo for Chrome after eight years.
Google Chrome logo has been getting simpler since 2008 with the logo being tweaked in 2011 and 2014. The tech giant is now making subtle changes to the Chrome logo, as shared by Elvin Hu, a designer for Google Chrome. Hu shared the changes and the thought process behind it in a Twitter thread.
“Some of you might have noticed a new icon in Chrome’s Canary update. Yes! we’re refreshing Chrome’s brand icons for the first time in 8 years. The new icons will start to appear across your devices soon,” Hu wrote.
The main brand icon has been simplified with the shadows being removed and proportions refined. The colours are now brighter.
Hu wrote that these changes have been made “to align with Google’s more modern brand expression.”
Another subtle change has been made to the colours of the logo. Avery subtle gradient to the main icon between the green and red colours to prevent “ unpleasant colour vibration.”
Customisations
The logo will also get OS-specific customisations.
“We want the icons to feel recognizably Chrome, but also well crafted for each OS. For example, on Windows, the icons take on an obviously gradated look, appearing at home on Windows 10 & 11,” Hu tweeted.
On ChromeOS, brighter colours have been used without gradients to match the looks of the rest of system icons. For macOS, it has a 3D look. For Beta and Dev, colourful ribbons have been applied to them.
“The ribbons include many details when viewed at large sizes, but transform into simple badges at small sizes, maintaining their legibility. The letter “B” and “D” representing “Beta” and “Dev” are manually hinted, so they look crisp even at a very small size,” explained Hu.
On iOS, the Beta app will start using a blueprint-like design, as a nod to Apple’s developer-focused apps, and the Stable app icon will have new proportions on the title.
Explaining the reasoning behind the changes, Hu added, “You might ask, “why bother with sth. so subtle?” We tailor Chrome’s experience to each OS, with features like Native Window Occlusion on Windows, day-one M1 support on macOS, Widgets on iOS/Android, and Material You on Android. We want our brand to convey the same level of care.”
Users will start seeing the refreshed version of the icon in the app,web and other platforms in the next few months.
Published on
February 06, 2022
